US Border Agent Made Me Cry!

[lgg 2]

What an a-hole, Reven! Totally unnecessary and rude. File a complaint and I'm sorry to hear that this happened to you -- you handled it really well.

[Krikit 1,164]

Just in case you need some help with this ...... lol

Complaints

Edited June 7, 2010 by Krikit

[Jadenjewel 9]

So sorry you went through that Reven! There are always some rude people in all walks of life. Hope all is well with you now! I too would complain and use Darnell's advice of what to expect for a reply. Krikits got a great link there too!

I had a difficult time when we were dating once and was in their office for over and hour. Usually though just the standard questions.

Hope this never ... NEVER happens to you again!

Be well and soon you'll live there!!!

[Revenesque 2]

Hello all! I read your posts and THANK YOU for your love and support! I won't have a chance to respond to all yet since I gotta go run errands with the hubby right now but a quick update. Hubby my hero got up to the top boss, the Vancouver Pre-Clearance Port Director, the boss of the boss of that rude guard and got an verbal apology from her. We'll also get a written one too.

When I get back home to Vancouver, I give you all the details.

Ciao!

[Married2009 32]

Hello all! I read your posts and THANK YOU for your love and support! I won't have a chance to respond to all yet since I gotta go run errands with the hubby right now but a quick update. Hubby my hero got up to the top boss, the Vancouver Pre-Clearance Port Director, the boss of the boss of that rude guard and got an verbal apology from her. We'll also get a written one too.

When I get back home to Vancouver, I give you all the details.

Ciao!

Good! Now have fun with Hubby!!!

[The_Dude 1,142]

Hello all! I read your posts and THANK YOU for your love and support! I won't have a chance to respond to all yet since I gotta go run errands with the hubby right now but a quick update. Hubby my hero got up to the top boss, the Vancouver Pre-Clearance Port Director, the boss of the boss of that rude guard and got an verbal apology from her. We'll also get a written one too.

When I get back home to Vancouver, I give you all the details.

Ciao!

Will the border guard in question receive an official reprimand?

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

Hello all! I read your posts and THANK YOU for your love and support! I won't have a chance to respond to all yet since I gotta go run errands with the hubby right now but a quick update. Hubby my hero got up to the top boss, the Vancouver Pre-Clearance Port Director, the boss of the boss of that rude guard and got an verbal apology from her. We'll also get a written one too.

When I get back home to Vancouver, I give you all the details.

Ciao!

That is good news! Your hubby deserves one extra large "Atta-Boy!"

It would be a good follow up to write a letter to your Congressman, and bemoan the fact that the nice Pre-Clearance Port Director is saddled with such rude, obnoxious and seemingly incompetent Border Guards. When the copy of that letter filters down to the Port Director, there will be no end to the misery that flows downhill.

[darkchilde794 5]

Reven, glad you complained. And kudos to you for holding back the tears and being really calm until you were done with customs. The dude probably wanted to destroy you into nothing, but he didn't. If you had done anything illegal or wrong, he would not even have to resort to terrorizing you. But he knows that he had nothing on you so he had to give you a really hard time before admitting that you are entering the US lawfully. I am glad that you are home with the hubby and I hope you never have this experience again.

[grooveman 0]

I won't defend this Officers actions, if it indeed happened the way you said it did then that Officer should probably be reprimanded. But I will say that I don't for one second believe that the Officer thought you were a terrorist as some others have eluded to. Simply put, these Officers are trained to ask questions in a certain way in order to seek out inconsistencies in order to catch those who ARE trying to enter the country under false pretenses. Unfortunately the post 9-11 era has made this necessary for many reasons. And yes, there are those Officers who do tend to have a little too much "badge pride", on BOTH sides of the fence and in all areas of Law Enforcement. I have been an LEO for many years on the local, state and now federal level and they will always be out there.

Here's my advice for what it's worth. If this happens to you again, ask to speak to a supervisor immediately. I can assure you that their tune will change real fast if they think a supervisor is going to be involved in the exchange. As to taking the complaint to the next level as some have suggested (congressional), that is certainly your right to do so. But my personal feeling is that if you feel that the Port Director handled your complaint effectively, then leave it at that. Writing a letter to a Congressman is not really necessary unless you feel that your complaint was not properly handled at the local level.

[Krikit 1,164]

Hello all! I read your posts and THANK YOU for your love and support! I won't have a chance to respond to all yet since I gotta go run errands with the hubby right now but a quick update. Hubby my hero got up to the top boss, the Vancouver Pre-Clearance Port Director, the boss of the boss of that rude guard and got an verbal apology from her. We'll also get a written one too.

When I get back home to Vancouver, I give you all the details.

Ciao!

That is awesome, Reven. SO glad your husband reported him.

[Revenesque 2]

Back in Vancouver!

Anyhoo, here's the details:

Hubby first talked to the supervisor of that rude US border guard, and she turned out to be the first border guard who had passed me on to this jerk. As hubby explained what happened but erroneously said the guy yelled at me, the supervisor said, "No, he didn't yell--I was present, 10 ft away and heard the whole conversation."

Hubby then said, "OK, he didn't yell as you said. I wasn't there. But you were, then certainly you must have heard him accused my wife of being a liar, of lying at least three times."

Supervisor: (silence) "Well, if he had called her a liar, then that's wrong on his part."

When hubby addressed the misinformation about not being able to enter into the US or if in the US, cannot leave while a visa is processing, she replied, "It's a grey area."

Not very helpful.

Hubby then wanted her email address, cc:ing her boss because he wanted file a formal written complaint. She said, "I can transfer you directly to my manager XXX, the Port Director". Hubby Ok'd.

Hubby then spoke to the Port Director, who obviously had a good sense of humor, cuz I heard hubby's irritated voice break out in laughter from time to time and at the end, become friendly in tone.

At first, she defended the border guard's actions ( "It's his job to question people about their residency ties, intent," etc). However, the issue wasn't about residency because the border guard was satisfied with my business card as proof of residential ties--it was that Nexus tidbid which he accused me of lying that was the issue. The Port Director said they are within their rights to inquire about Nexus status as it's become a hotbed for fraud and illegal immigration.

Hubby said: "I understand your reason for questioning about Nexus re: illegal immigration. But if my wife has provided proof of residential ties, disclosed that we have a pending visa to be issued, and it's shown on your system that she only came down during the weekends and have always returned to Canada, the border guard should have left it at that. There's no need to accuse my pregnant wife of allegedly lying about her reason to apply for a Nexus card to the Nexus Officer in an interview over 2 years ago. That was unnessary and very unprofessional.

And if he really believed my wife was lying, then why did he let her enter the US?"

Port Director: "Have you been a manager before?"

Then they went on chatting about the difficulty of dealing with the public as representatives of the government (hubby used to work for the US Dept of Commerce). At one point, hubby schooled her about managing employees to deal with the public tactfully adn professionally so they don't have such bad impression of government workers.

Then hubby put me on the line with her and I clarified my exchange with the border guard to her. I told her I didn't appreciate his threat to confiscate my Nexus card and ban me from entering the US IF he found out I was lying. She then asked me what actions do I expect from her.

I replied: "I've been crossing the US border and dealing with Immigration over the last five years--I'm well aware of the law and regulations. I've had no problem with any border guards and have found them to be generally courteous and professional. It's only this one time that warrants a complaint. I would like you to address training so someone like myself doesn't have to go through this like I did."

Port Director: "OK. May I ask you a personal question?" I replied Yes.

Port Director: "Do you know what [gender of the baby] you're having?"

I smiled: "Yes, we're having a little girl."

In the end, she issued a verbal apology, promised to address training re: professionalism of employees, and will send a written one to us.

Hubby and I were very satisfied with her response.

[Krikit 1,164]

Excellent work on all 3 of your parts. Congratulations.

[Advanced Aardvark 82]

Back in Vancouver!

Anyhoo, here's the details:

In the end, she issued a verbal apology, promised to address training re: professionalism of employees, and will send a written one to us.

Hubby and I were very satisfied with her response.

When her response is translated from Bureaucratic-speak, it means she will do the grovelling and there will be no formal reprimand to the border crossing guard. If you are OK with this, all is well. If not, ask your eloquent hubby to write a letter to his Congressman/woman about this issue. A tightly written letter about this will ensure that there will at least be a letter in the BG's jacket. This will make a difference for his next performance review.

Oooooooo...a little girl! I have seven nieces, and it is constantly like the inverse of Snow White!

[Revenesque 2]

See if that were me, one of two things would have happened.

1- i would have started holding my stomach and crying GET ME A DOCTOR and blaming him for the stress.

LOL, that would have been funny.

Once I read your post I thought it must be the same guy who did my NEXUS interview. He was such an @ss. Canadian guy, though. The US officer actually came over and helped me out (bless her heart) because he was being such a jerk. He actually accused me of having a PR card but living in Canada. I can't even think of a reason why one would do that. Told me that he was going to look into it and that if he found out I was doing that I'd be in big trouble. No guff. He also accused me of fraudulently holding a Canadian passport. What an idiot.

Wow, Krikit! That's sounds way worst than my experience! Hope you reported him.

I think you got pegged because you 'appear to be' pregnant, and

THE FEAR

is that yer coming into the USA, to make an 'anchor baby' - so

you got extra-ordinary scrutiny. I do mean 'extra-ordinary'.

Actually, I have thought of that. But, geez, you'd think the strong residency ties and universal health care would dispel such thoughts. Plus the baby is automatically a US Citizen via his dad. SMH.

Will the border guard in question receive an official reprimand?

According to Krikit's link on how to file a complaint, they're protected from disclosing to you how or whether they reprimanded the guard in question. I can only go on the Port Director's word that she will.

But I will say that I don't for one second believe that the Officer thought you were a terrorist as some others have eluded to.

Here's my advice for what it's worth. If this happens to you again, ask to speak to a supervisor immediately. I can assure you that their tune will change real fast if they think a supervisor is going to be involved in the exchange. As to taking the complaint to the next level as some have suggested (congressional), that is certainly your right to do so. But my personal feeling is that if you feel that the Port Director handled your complaint effectively, then leave it at that. Writing a letter to a Congressman is not really necessary unless you feel that your complaint was not properly handled at the local level.

Grooveman, I think folks here were only exaggerating when they eluded that the officer treated me like a terrorist. He obviously didn't, but he did imply I was using the nexus card for fraud and illegal immigration with ZERO proof. Just wanton, unjustified accusation.

I am satisfied with the Port Director's response and I don't think I need to pursue it further up to the Congressman level.

When her response is translated from Bureaucratic-speak, it means she will do the grovelling and there will be no formal reprimand to the border crossing guard. If you are OK with this, all is well. Oooooooo...a little girl! I have seven nieces, and it is constantly like the inverse of Snow White!

You're probably right. But I'm fine with the Port Director grovelling on behalf of her rude employee, lol.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Revenesque

[Revenesque 2]

Revensque, I seriously think you and your husband should file a complaint. That kind of treatment should not be acceptable. The officer stating you can't visit is total BS and the officer should be called out on it and corrected. You of course are informed of what you can and can't do but think of that poor person that doesn't know the facts and turns away and doesn't make an attempt to visit their significant other because of that. Calling a person a liar is not acceptable either. There are a lot more tactful ways of interviewing a person. I know these kinds of experiences do happen and unless they person does file a complaint it will not get corrected. I also know people do avoid the hassle of filing the complaint as they think nothing is going to be done about it but it does get put in their file and hopefully if another one or more complaints do come in for that person something will be done.

Knowing that you are a border guard, it was your post that first persuaded me to allow hubby to file a complaint. Then everyone echoed your suggestion. Thanks, Neiks and everyone!

My hubby (Ian) also says to tell your hubby hello and go get 'em!!! Good luck!

Ha, I remember Ian! Such a lovable guy. How is he doing?

ONCE, just once I get a total power tripping D#CK and then it was hell for 7 months. I was yanked into secondary and interrogated over and over like some sort of criminal..I don't get it. We try to do everything the legal and forthright way and this is how WE get treated..something is wrong here!!

No kidding! Next time I go, which is this weekend, I'm loading up with heavy residential ties, printout of the my visa case and names of that border guard supervisor and their Port Director, lol.

My point...Is to not let something like this stress you out while pregnant (easier said than done, I know)...Enjoy the time with your husband and your pregnancy/baby....Make sure you get the proper healthcare for you and your baby.

Thanks, Ant. I was upset the whole weekend, and after the phone call to the Port Director on Monday, I'm feeling alot better. Apple pie and ice cream really helped too. :-)

While the border guard has every right to do his job and try to keep the US safe (especially from the terrible single-handed invasion of a pregnant visitor from Canada who is in the process of immigrating legally!), he should be using good judgment and common sense in the process - and he used neither.

(...)

I wonder how he is going to brag about this one to his friends and family - I bullied a US citizen's pregnant wife who was legally visiting the US today and made her cry - see how important I am?

LOL, Kathryn. Loved the sarcasm.